1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus such as a copier, a facsimile, a printer or the like, and in particular, relates to an ink-jet recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium by discharging ink from a recording head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recording apparatus functioning as a printer, a copier, a facsimile, etc.; or a recording apparatus used as combination electric equipment including a computer, a word processor, etc.; or a recording apparatus used as output equipment for a workstation etc., generally records an image or the like on various recording media like a sheet of paper, a fabric, a plastic sheet, a transparent sheet used for an overhead projector, etc. in accordance with recording information.
The recording apparatus typically utilizes one of an ink-jet method, a wire dot method, a thermal method, a laser beam method, or the like to accomplish the recording.
Incidentally, with a serial type recording apparatus which performs recording with main scanning on the recording medium in a direction intersecting with a conveying direction, the recording medium is recorded by repetitive operations of recording an image with use of a recording unit mounted on a carriage which moves along the recording medium; feeding a predetermined amount of the recording medium after the recording for a line is completed; and then recording the image for the next line.
On the other hand, with a line type recording apparatus which performs the recording merely with sub scanning on the recording medium in the conveying direction of the recording medium, the recording medium is entirely recorded by repetitive operations of setting the recording medium at a predetermined recording position; recording an image for a line at once; feeding a predetermined amount of the recording medium; and then recording the image for the next line at once.
In the above-described recording apparatuses, the ink-jet recording apparatus performs the recording by discharging ink by the recording unit to the recording medium, allowing the recording unit to be downsized, and enabling high-speed recording of high-definition images without a special treatment on a sheet of plain paper. In addition, such a recording apparatus has advantages of low-operation cost, low-noise since the recording apparatus employs a non-impact recording method, and easy-recording of color images with use of multicolor inks.
Further, since the ink-jet recording apparatus employs a non-contact recording method, the ink-jet recording apparatus may record an image on various types of recording media. The types of recording media used for the recording may be classified by physical characteristics of the recording media, such as a sheet of plain paper, a sheet of special purpose paper with the optimum ink-absorbing ability for ink-jet recording, and the like, or may be classified by forms of the recording media, such as an envelope or a card of a typical size, a compact disc, and the like.
The recording head used by the foregoing ink-jet recording apparatus includes a plurality of discharging nozzles for discharging ink drops, so that the ink drops are discharged from the discharging nozzles in accordance with a discharge signal on the basis of recording data to perform the recording on the recording medium.
Incidentally, as for the serial type recording apparatus, there is a configuration in which the recording head is detachably attached to the carriage which may move in a reciprocating manner.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,601 discloses a configuration in which a plurality of ink tanks are detachably attached to a carriage. There is also disclosed a configuration to mount the plurality of ink tanks at regular positions in the carriage, namely a configuration to prevent the ink tanks from being mounted incorrectly.
A related art for preventing the ink tank from being mounted incorrectly may be a configuration in which the profile of the ink tank differs based on color, or may be a configuration in which each ink tank has a memory chip to form an independent electric communication circuit for each ink tank.
However, according to the configuration in which the profile of the ink tank differs based on color, the number of dies for manufacturing the ink tanks may increase, thereby increasing the cost, and management or the like of the quantity for manufacturing may be cumbersome. On the other hand, according to the configuration in which the ink tank is formed with the independent electric communication circuit, connecting features may need complicated paths, and a space for accommodating the electric communication circuit for each tank may be required, causing the apparatus to be increased in size.